The Jewish Ethicist - Addiction: An Obstacle Before the Blind

I'm helping an alcoholic support her habit

Q.I run errands for neighbors for a living. One neighbor sends me to the liquor store. Since she's an alcoholic I'd like to stop, but I know she will just find another errand boy. What should I do?

A. Addiction is a major source of concern, and contemporary rabbis have found a number of profound ways of understanding it in the light of Jewish tradition. In this column I will outline and apply one approach, and next week an additional, complementary view.

All agree that we have an obligation to help keep others from destructive and self-destructive behavior, including harmful addictions such as alcoholism. Jewish tradition asserts that we are merely caretakers of our bodies, not their owners, and therefore we are obligated to give them proper care and maintenance so that they can fulfill their appointed task of carrying out God's revealed will. A famous story tells how Hillel the Elder, one of the greatest sages in Jewish history, considered proper care of the body to be a great mitzvah (commandment):

All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven, like Hillel. Once Hillel was going about, they asked him, "Where are you going?" [He replied:] "I'm going to do a mitzvah". "What mitzvah, Hillel?" "I'm going to the bathroom". "What, is that a mitzvah?" He said to them, "Yes, to keep the body from ruin". [Another time they asked:] "Where are you going, Hillel?" "I'm going to do a mitzvah". "What mitzvah, Hillel?" "I'm going to the bath house". "What, is that a mitzvah?" He said "Yes, to clean the body. I will prove it, for even the statues of kings in the public square, the caretaker gets a salary and admiration for keeping them clean. We, who are created in the image and the likeness [of the Almighty], as it is written 'For in the image of God He made man (Gen. 9:6), so much the more'." (1)

The Torah commands us, "Don't place a stumbling block before the blind" (Leviticus 19:14). Our tradition is that this verse forbids encouraging or enabling someone to act improperly. The example the Talmud provides is extending a glass of wine to a Nazirite, someone who has sworn not to drink wine. (2) (See Numbers, chapter 6.) The truth is that this example itself hints at a connection to addiction, because the vow of a Nazirite is not an ordinary one. Many commentaries explain that this vow is appropriate for someone who loses control of his behavior when he drinks. Rashi explains that grammatical root of the word "nazir" is a word meaning "abstention". So the prohibition to encourage someone's addiction is not just "one more" example of the general rule against enabling impropriety, rather it is closely related to the example chosen by the Talmud.

However, this Torah prohibition is limited to someone who actually enables the wrongdoing. The Talmud gives the example of a Nazir who is on one side of the river where there is no wine, and someone from across the river extends him a cup. But if there are plenty of other people who would give the Nazir a cup of wine if you did not, you would not be guilty of this transgression.

An additional consideration here is that an addiction is a syndrome. The "obstacle" is not a single cup of wine or a single pill, etc. but rather the overall phenomenon. I'm not an expert in addiction treatments, but to the best of my knowledge some therapies involve immediate cessation of the behavior ("cold turkey") while others involve gradually diminishing the dose. So it is not appropriate to view each individual drink as a separate transgression you are abetting.

According to your letter, you are not enabling this woman to keep up her habit since she can find other individuals to buy liquor. If it is no more difficult for her to use others, then you are not actually providing an "obstacle to the blind". Your question should be: To what extent can you make a constructive contribution to helping this woman with her problem? Jewish law and tradition would take a practical and not an ideological approach. A blanket prohibition, without limiting availability of substitutes, will not accomplish much.

It may be that your best contribution is indeed to stop working for her. If your service is worth a lot to her and having to work through someone else is giving her second thoughts about drinking, then your refusal to deliver drinks will tend to reduce her dependence on drink.

Conversely, it may be that your best contribution would be to continue working for this neighbor. It's not a good feeling to be delivering liquor to an alcoholic, but perhaps your ongoing connection will enable you to influence her purchases, encouraging her perhaps to buy fewer drinks or beverages with less alcohol in them.

Given every person's obligation to take good care of the Divine form expressed in our bodies, it is certainly an ethical obligation to avoid destructive addictions and to help others do so. However, an unyielding refusal to run errands to the liquor store may not be the best way of achieving this goal. What you need to do is to make a realistic evaluation whether such a refusal will be a constructive step in helping your customer overcome her abuse problem. Discussing the issue with a professional with expertise in understanding addiction will help you make the right decision.

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About the Author

Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir is Research Director at the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem (www.besr.org). He studied at Harvard, received a PhD in Economics from MIT, and rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Prior to moving to Israel, he worked at the Council of Economic Advisers in the Reagan administration. Rabbi Dr. Meir is also a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Jerusalem College of Technology and has published several articles on business, economics and Jewish law. He is the author of the two-volume, "Meaning in Mitzvot (Feldheim), and his Aish.com columns form the basis of the "Jewish Ethicist" book (ktav.com).

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 3

(3)
David Lee Vail, B.S.S.W/MDiv,
October 24, 2013 11:30 PM

I appreciate the wisdom given by Rabbi Dr Asher Meir just as he presented it.

I think Rabbi Dr Asher Meir's article contains some the deepest theological thought I've seen on the subject. I've sent a lifetime working with delinquent Youth, a tremendous number who struggled with chemical abuse, and spent a great deal of time in various recovery programs due to their abuse. Although I prefer the 12-Step approach in learning to overcome the abuse, and the addiction. BUT, I don't think the Rabbi should be addressed,....or, rather "dressed down" as if his approach is incorrect, & invalid because he is not a "certified" drug/ alcohol counselor. Most I knew were recovering addicts themselves p,...and, trained in the Addiction is a Disease Model of Instruction. That model is accepted by many,....but, it is only one model of a Treatment Approach to Addiction. Another model is the Biblically-based "Addiction is a Sin"-approach. After working with people with addictive behaviors, including chemical abuse,...I STILL cannot tell you which approach I profess. And, I think that is because I see value in BOTH approaches, and, I have seen people CHANGED, and ADDICTIONS BROKEN by EACH of these approaches...when the OTHER had not worked for them. The Rabbi's profound insights were approached from primarily the ETHICAL standpoint,....and, at 63-years old I saw a new and richer ethical approach than I've ever seen before. I applaud the Rabbi on his well presented wisdom. You have helped an old man grow spiritually as I continue to try and bring God's love to those with addictive problems!

(2)
moshe mones,
August 27, 2009 8:23 PM

Advice on Alcoholism

Dear Rabbi Meir,
As a Torah Observant Jew who has been in 12 Recovery for 7 years B'H and works with many newcomers and those who need to become newcomers IH'Y, I must say with all due respect, that it'd be fantastic if you and Aish had someone who truly understands the disease of addictions. Torah does. In fact the 12 steps were taken from Torah in the 1930's and given by righteous gentiles.
Please provide a service via someone involved in Recovery for these questions. It has save millions upon millions of lives, including my own.
Humbly
Moshe Mones

(1)
Carl Hokanson,
February 15, 2007 2:28 PM

Enabling the alcoholic

I'm afraid I must disagree with Rabbi Meir's interpretation of the mitzvah on this issue. While not a Talmudic scholar by any means, I am a trained and certified addiction counselor (with comparable degrees and a lifetime of experience, btw).

Alcoholism is a progressive and fatal disease. Abetting (enabling) it in any way is, in my opinion, a severe contravention of more than one mitzvah. I realize the difficulty this poses to the deliveryman, but believe he should stop supplying her regardless of her other potential suppliers. One cannot avoid the intent of a mitzvah simply because others could or do. Would Rabbi Meir give the same advice for delivering, say, heroin? I think not.

In attempting to advise the deliveryman, I would first ask him whether the woman acknowledges or denies her alcoholism. This would merely be to determine the degree of diplomacy to be used in confronting her.

The gist of my advice to this man would be to approach her along these lines.

"Ma'am, our Jewish tradition holds that we are merely the caretakers of our bodies. As such, we are forbidden to damage our bodies or to assist others in doing so to theirs. I'm sorry ma'am, but I can't help seeing that you have a progressive and ultimately fatal disease in your consumption of alcohol and simply can't be a party to destroying your life. I realize that you have other choices for your deliveries, but would much prefer that you seek help for this problem. While you may find that you need additional treatment, permit me to suggest that you start with Alcoholics Anonymous, where you will find friendly people who know exactly what you are going through and how difficult - but rewarding - it is to change. Here* is the main phone number for AA in (city). They can advise you of meeting schedules of nearby AA venues. [(Optional) If you like, I'd be happy to take you to your first meeting.] In any case, I do hope you'll understand that I can't continue delivering alcohol to you."

* call the listed number first, describe the problem, and ask if this is the best number for her to call.

Whether or not she accepts his advice is beyond his control, but I believe this is the better alternative for his Jewish life. At worst, he will lose one customer and will have performed a mitzvah.

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I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!